Can-making machine



(No Model.) 6 SheetsSheet 1.

A. A. TRIPOLD & B. BLUMENSGHEIN.

' CAN MAKING MACHINE.

No. 416,432. Patented Dec. 3, 1889.

WITNESSES: V :7 0 j INVENTOR v firm $A Z40/ 'yb 7 BY 6. Sf%uzm() 46/ 1 ATTORNEY (No Model.) 6' Sheets-Sheet -2.

A. A. TRIPOLD & B. BLUMENSOHEIN.-

CAN MAKING MACHINE.

No. 416,432. Patented Dec. 3, 1889.

, wl BY MW N. PETERS, FhuloLhhagnpher, Washington, I10.

(No Model.)

' 6 Sheets-Sheet 3.

A. A. TRIPOLD 8: B. BLUMEN-SGHEIN. CAN MAKING MAGHINB. No. 416,432.

Patented Dec. 3, 1889.

N. PETfiRS, Phawlnnngrnphur. Wnhingtnn. D. C.

--(NO Model.) BSheets-Sheet 4.

A. A. TRIPOLD & B. BLUMENSCHEIN.

UAN MAKING MACHINE.

Patented Dec. 3', 1889.

, 6% j g zywaa WWW BY (No Model.) I c Sheets-Sheet 5 7 A. A. TRIPOLD 81; B. BLUMBNSGHEIN.

GAN MAKING MAGHINE. 4

No. 416,432"; Patented Dec. 3, 1889.

u. FZTERB. Ham-Lithographer, Washlngtuu. n a

\ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AMBROSE A. TRIPOLD AND BENJAMIN BLUMENSOI-IEIN, OF BROOKLYN,

NEVY YORK.

CAN-MAKING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 416,432, dated December 3, 1889.

Application filed May 15, 1888 'To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, AMBROSE A.TRIPOLD and BENJAMIN BLUMENsoHEIN, residing at the city of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have'invented certain new and useful Improvements in Can-Making Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Our invention relates to improvements in machines for making metal cans in which seamers or squeezers are employed to secure the top and bottom of the can to the body.

The object of our invention is to provide 7 an efiicient machine whereby the manufacture of cans maybe conducted with economy of time and labor.

The invention consists in the novel c011- struction and combination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters and figures of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the machine. Fig. 2 is a vertical section online 0000 of Fig. i

1. Fig. 3 is a side elevation. Fig. 4: is a detail horizontal section on line w of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a vertical section on line .az of Fig. 1, illustrating the squeezing-table as enlarged. Fig, 6 is a partial vertical section of a canbody and a top in position to be clamped thereon. Fig. 7 is a plan view of the can top or bottom. Fig. 8 is a side View of one of the squeezing-tables and one radial conveyer-arm in section, showing one position of the clutch tripping-lever. Figs. 9 and 10 are similar views illustrating diiferent positions of said lever. Figs. 11 and 12 are. partial sections of the squeezing-table and a conveyer arm and stop, the latter being in vertical section and shown in different positions. Fig. 13 is a side elevation of the head of the stop. Figs. 14 and 15 are respectively a perspective and an edge view of the bow-spring connected with the table trip-lever. Fig. 16 is a vertical section through one of the feed-receptacles and a conveyer above the same, the radial arm being in elevation, illustrating the first step in the first operation of attaching a can $eria1 No. 274,010. (No model.)

top or bottom to a body. Fig. 17 is a section through the receptacle and conveyer, illustrating the second step in the first operation. Fig. 18 is a section through the squeezing-table, can-body, and conveyer, illustrating the second operation, or clinching the bottom to the can-body. Fig. 19 is a section through one of the receptacles and a conveyer, illustrating the next operation, that of feeding up the can-top. Fig. 20 is a similar view to that of Fig. 19, illustrating the can-top as fed up. Fig. 21 is a like View illustrating the can-body as reversed, the top in contact therewith, and the conveyer ready to pass to the squeezingtable. Fig. 22 is a side elevation of the clutch attached to the drive-pulley. Fig. 23 is a detail perspective view of the trip-plate and a section through one of the arms carrying the same, taken on line m 'm of Fig. 1; and Fig. .24: is a side elevation of the drive-shaft brake.

In carrying out the invention two spaced squeezing tables or machines A, of any approved construction, constitute two opposite sides of theimproved machine. The squeezing-machines are adapted to secure the tops and bottoms of the cans to the body, and one form of such squeezing-machine will be hereinafter described.

The opposed squeezing-machines are rigidly connected by horizontal brace-beams 10, of any approved design, which brace-beams carry at their center a perpendicular shaft 11, and at or near the upper end of the shaft a hub 12 is held to revolve, provided, preferably, with an integral sleeve at its under side, which sleeve serves to steady the hub in its revolution. Upon the upper face of the hub a yoke or U-shaped strap 13 is firmly attached. The yoke or strap extends upward over the upper extremity of the shaft,. and

the hub is rendered adjustable upon the said shaft by entering a set-screw 14 into the yoke to a contact with the upper end of the shaft, as'shown in Fig. 2. A disk 15 is secured to the hub, having radial recesses formed in its upper face to receive arms 16, preferably six exterior of the can-body to be topped and bottomed. The distance between the inner extremity of each arm and the outer edge of the conveyer carried thereby is such that when the arms are revolved the center of each conveyer in turn will register with the vertical center of the squeezing-machines. Each radial arm has attached thereto and projecting down therefrom, near its outer end, IO a trip-plate 18, which plates are preferably adjnstably secured to the upper face of the arms, being U-shaped in cross-section. The lower end of the shaft 11 is usually supported in a block 19, as illustrated in Fig. 2, consti- 15 tuting the center of a wheel-like frame 20, which frame may be supported from below by vertical standards, if desired. The conveyers 1.7 are hollow, having open tops and bottoms, and are usually rectangular 2c in general contour. The con veyers are usually attached to the arms 16 by passing bolts or rivets through a lug integral therewith into said arms. The lower portion a of the conveyers is beveled at its lower edge to permit 2 5 the entrance of the erimped top or bottom of the can, which top or bot-tom fits tightly in said lower portion. The upper portion a of the conveyers is well flared outward, so as to guide the can-body in entering the central 0 portion a", which latter part is slightly more than the thickness of the can metal and smaller on all sides than the lower portion a, thus insuring the certainty of the can-body passing into the peripheral grooves 22 of the 5 crimped can bottom or top 23, as shown in Figs. 5 and 18. These tops and bottoms are crimped, as illustrated, prior to being intro- & duced into the machine, and the manner in which they are or may be made constitutes no part of our invention.

Each conveyer is provided upon its outer side with a projection or lip 24, adapted to constitute a handle, by means of which the operator may swing the conveyer from point 5 to point, as required, in the manipulation of a can, and each conveyer is further provided upon its opposite inner face with a spring 25, purposed to bear against the side of the canbody and firmly support the same.

lVe will now describe the construction of the squeezing-machines illustrated. machine is a duplicate of the other in every respect, to avoid confusion we will refer to a single machine only.

The squeezing-machine consists of a horizontal table 26, supported by suitable legs 27, connected by bars or beams 28. As shown in the sectional views, Figs. 5 and 18, a rectangular channel 29 is produced in the upper 60 face of the table, surrounding the center,

which center 13 is of less width than the interior width of the can-body 30, or of a width and contour to contact with the entire under surface of the grooved bottom ortop 23-that 65 is, to fill the space between the convex surfaces of the marginal grooves. Upon the upper face of the table, at each corner, a deep As one recess 32 is produced, each merging into the channel 29, and in each of said recesses a squeezing or seaming block 33 is held to slide, provided with an extension 34, projecting from its inner edge at its top, which extensions constitute jaws capable of contacting with and squeezing in the wall of the can bottom or top groove or channel to a close frictional engagement with the respective inner and outer walls of the can-body. This is readily accomplished, since the inner wall of the channel 29 constitutes a mandrel-block for the inner crimped or channeled surface of the can top or bottom, as is illustrated in Figs. 5 and 18. The squeezing or seaming blocks may be laterally reeiprocated in any approved manner, preferably through the medium of toggle-levers C, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 5. A curved lever 36 is fulcrumed upon the under side of the table 26, beneath each squeezing or seaming block, the upper extremity of each of which levers is carried upward through recesses produced, respectively, in the table and blocks. The lower extremities of the several levers 36 are connected by links 39 with a central cared disk 40, which disk is swiveled to an adjustable rod or pitman 41, the said rod or pitman being pivotally secured at its lower end to a lever 42, fulcrnmed at its outer end upon one lower cross-beam uniting the table-legs, as shown in Fig. 2. The inner end of the lever 42 is united with one end of a driveshaft 43, journaled between the legs of the table, the connection being effected through the medium of a pit-man 45, pivoted to the lever 42, and upon a wristpin 46, integral with a disk 47, fast to the inner end of the drive-shaft, as best shown in Fig. 2. Upon the drive-shaft 43, at its outer end, a drivepulley 48 is loosely mounted, controlled by a spring-clutch 49, attached thereto, which is provided with a series of preferably diagonal peripheral ribs 62, as best shown in Figs. 1 and 4. The clutch is illustrated in detailin Fig. 22, and consists of a disk having a central bore to receive the main shaft, and a semicircular recess intersecting said bore, the

shaft at the point upon which the clutch is mounted being provided with a semicircular groove 06. In the recess 65 of the clutch a pin 67 is inserted, which pin is also entered in the groove of the shaft, the pin being of such diameter that when forced up fully into the shaft-groove it will complete the true circumference of the clutch-bore and permit the said clutch and attached drive-pulley to turn loosely upon the drive-shaft. To the pin 67 a curved arm 68 is secured, capable of contact with the periphery of the shaft and held normally out of contact with the shaft by a spring 69, as shown in positive lines, Fig. 22. When the arm is held in this position, the pin 67 is partially in the groove of the shaft and partially in the recess of the clutch, therefore, the clutch and shaft being united, the one is driven from the other. Next to ITO the shaft-disk 47 an essentially elliptical cam 69 is fast to the shaft, which cam is adapted for contact with a lever 70, fulcrumed at one end to a horizontal arm 71, projected from the front of the squeezing table frame, as shown in Fig. 2, the inner end of which lever is free to have vertical play in a bracket 72, secured to a suitable support, as shown in Fig. 4.

Any suitable form of brake may be applied to the drive-shaft, one form being illustrated in detail in Fig. 24, consisting of a springactuated arm 0, pivoted in the framing of the machine, and provided with .a curved free end adapted to receive a shaft, which shaft is provided with a collar 0 at its point of contact with the brake, and next to the said collar a cam 0 is fixed upon the shaft 43, the

said cam being so located that it will contact' with the brake at a portion of the revolution of the shaft and throw said brake out of contact with the latter. This contact of the cam with the brake takes place the moment that power is applied to the shaft, whereby the brake is thrown out of contact with the said shaft, which is free to revolve. As soon as the power is disconnected from the shaft the cam leaves the curved end of the brake,

which is automatically forced upward by its spring to a contact with the enlarged portion of the shaft. The object of thus braking the shaft is to stop its revolution suddenly and take as much strain as possible from the clutch mechanism.

From the outer central surface of the squeezing-table a standard 74 is'upwardly projected, having attached to its upper end a rod 75, upon which rod a lever 76 is fulcrumed at the rear of its center, carrying at its inner end a plate 77, adapted to clamp and hear down upon the can-body, to press the same into the top or bottom prior to the operation of the squeezing-blocks. This lever 7-6 is held normally above the canbody by a spring 7 S, attached to its outer end and to the standard 74 at its base. The lever is manipulated at the proper moment throughthe medium of a rod 79, adjustable as to length,p ivo'ted to the lever 76 at its top and to the cam-operated lever 70 at its bottom, the rod being made to pass perpendicularly downward, as best shown in Fig. 2.

An automatic stop is made to pass up through the table of the squeezing-machine between the two inner squeezing-blocks, the said stop being adapted for contact with the trip-plates 18, carried by the radial conveyerarms. The head of the stop 50 is preferably cylindrical, and provided in one side with a recess, in which a pawl or guard-finger 51 is pivoted, normallyheld outward from the recess by a spring 52, as shown in Fig. 12, in which the stop is represented as just about to be engaged by one of the plates 18 upon a conveyerarm, Fig. 11 representing the plate in contact with the stop. The stopis reduced below its head and carried downward through suitable guides, and the lowerend of said stop is attached to the lever at or near its sliding end, which lever is acted upon by the cam 69 upon the drive-shaft, as heretofore stated, as shown in Fig. 8. A spring 52 is arranged upon the stop below its head, which acts to restore the stop to its originalposition when the radial conveyerarm has passed, prior to which passage the head of the stop .is lowered by the depression of the said lever 70.

To the inner edge of the table 26 an anglelever 53 is pivoted, preferably provided with a latch-head, and having attached to its outer end hinged fingers 54, (illustrated in detail in Figs.14and 15,) adapted to receive a pin 55, proj ected from one member of a crank-arm 56, integral with one end of a shaft 57, journaled transversely upon the outer face of one set of legs supporting the table, as shown in Fig. 2. The opposite end of said shaft is also provided with a crank-arm 58, which latter crank-arm is united to a lower and parallel shaft 59 by'a connecting-rod 60. The lower shaft 59 is provided at one end with a finger 61, adapted to engage with the curved arm of the clutch 49 and force the same momentarily upward, freeing said clutch from the shaft, the finger being thrown out of contact with the arm by one of the descending ribs 62 upon the periphery of the clutch.

The hinged fingers 54 consist, preferably, of two pieces of fiat metal cl and d, hinged together at the top and shaped to the form somewhat of an oval, as shown in Fig. 15. The two members cl and d are normally adapted to contact at their lower ends, and are clamped at their upper ends by a U- spring (1 The member d of the fingers is practically straight and attached to the angled lever 53, and the member (1 is slight-1y bowed and contacts with the other member by gravi'ty, the spring d being purposed only to prevent the bow member from flying out too far when pressed upon its inner side by the pin 55, and to force the said member to ,drop when released from said pin. The angle-lever 53 has attached near its outer end a coil or spiral spring 62, the other end of which spring is secured to one leg of the table 26, as shown in Figs. 8, 9, and 10.

The pin 55 is normally contained between the two members of the hinged fingers. \Vhen the said fingers are raised, by reason of the trippingplate 18 forcing down the inner end of the angled lever, as shown in Fig. 9, the

pin 55 passes out of the fingers between the lower ends of the members dand cl, as is also shown in Fig. 9.

Immediately upon the trippingplate 18 passing the inner end of the angled lever the fingers are restored to their normal position by the coil-spring 62, as shown in Fig.'10, and the wide outer and lower portion of the member d of the said fingers now contacting facially with the pin 55 forces the same out ward, and by reason of the crank-connection IIO between the pin 55 and the finger 61 the latter is thrown out of the path of the clutcharm, thereby permitting the spring (39 to clutch the driving-pulley of the shaft 43, while one of the ribs 62 will subsequently force the finger 61 inward into the path of the arm 68, thereby disconnecting the power; When the finger (51 is restored to its normal position, the pin 55 is carried through the recess 63in the member (1' of the hinged fingers 54 to its normal position, and the mechanism is set in operation to plant the top of the canbody, manipulate the seamer and squeezerblocks, and withdraw the stop 50.

At each side of one of the squeezing-tables in the arc of rotation of the conveyers a receiving-receptacle 80 is supported by suitable legs 81 in such mannerthat when the various comeyers are rotated they will pass immediately over the receptacles, as shown in Fig. 8. The receptacles consist of a box like structure conforming in general shape and size to the conveyers, each receptacle being provided with an inclined integral chute 82, through which the crimped or grooved tops and bottoms of the can-bodies are introduced one at a time.

\Vhen the can tops or bottoms are inserted into the receptacles 80, they fall, groove up, upon a forcing plate or follower 83, located in the bottom of each receptacle, which forcingplate has attached thereto a vertically-movable rod 84, passing downward through a guide-sleeve 85, preferably integral with the periphery of the wheel-like frame 20. A horizontal lever 86 is attached to the lower end of each rod 84 and fulcrumed at its opposite end to the frame 20, as shown in Fig. 16.

At about the center of the lever 86 a pitman is pivoted connected with a foot-lever 87. Thus when the can-body is placed in the conveyer and said conveyer is stopped over either receiving-receptacle by pressing down .upon the foot-lever the can top or bottom is forced upward into the lower portion of the conveyer, as shown in Fig. 17. The conveyer, having the can top or bottom introduced therein, is now ready to be conducted over the squeezing-table.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. I11 a can-making machine, the combination, with a fixed vertical shaft, a hub mounted to rotate on said shaft, a series of radial arms secured to said hub, and a set-screw mounted .in a support fixed to said hub and bearing upon said shaft, of a series of conveyers attached to said radial arms, having a flaring top, a vertical bottom, and an intermediate contracted central portion, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a can-making machine, the combination, with a fixed vertical shaft, a hub mounted to rotate on said shaft, a series of radial arms secured to said hub, a series of conveyers secured to the outer extremities of said arms, and a set-screw mounted in a support fixed to the hub and bearing upon said shaft, of a series of receiving-receptacles, a forcing plate or follower located in each receptacle, a rod secured to each forcing plate or follower, means for supporting said rods, and footlevers attached to said follower-rods, all combined for operation substantially as shown and described.

3. In a can-making machine, the combination, with a series of radial arms secured to a hub mounted to rotate on a fixed vertical shaft, a conveyer secured to the outer extremity of each arm, and a setscrew mounted in a support on said hub and bearing upon said shaft, of trip-plates on said arms, an angle-lever pivoted on the squeezing-table of the machine and adapted to be engaged by said trip-plates, a coil-spring connecting the angle-lever with the frame of the machine, and a bow-spring fixed to the outer extremity of the angle-lever and adapted to receive and bear upon a pin carried at the upper extremity of a system of compound levers connected with a clutch upon the driving-shaft of the machine, substantially as shown and described, and for the purpose specified.

4. In a can-making machine, the combination, with a series of radial arms secured to a hub mounted to rotate on a fixed vertical shaft, and conveyers attached to the outer extremities of said arms, of a trip-plate secured to each radial arm, a spring-actuated vertically-movable stop located in the squeezing-table of the machine, a spring-actuated guard finger or pawl pivoted in the head of the stop, and a connection, substantially as shown and described, between the stop and the drive-shaft of the machine, as and for the purpose specified.

5. In a can-making machine, the combination, with a series of radial arms projected from a hub mounted to rotate upon a fixed vertical shaft, a conveyer secured to the outer extremity of each radial arm, and trip-plates attached to the said arms near the conveyers,of a spring-actuated vertically-movable stop located in the squeezing-table of the machine, capable of contact with the trip-plates, a spring guard finger or pawl carried by the stop, adapted to engage the under side of the trip-plates, a connection, substantially as described, between the stop and drive shaft of the machine, an angle-lever pivoted upon the squeezing-table, aspring-connection between the said lever and the frame of the table, and an open bow-spring secured to the outer end of the lever and adapted to receive and bear upon a pin carried at the upper extremity of a system of compound levers connected with the driving-shaft of the machine, substantially as shown and described.

6. In a can-making machine, the combination, with a series of radial arms secured to a hub mounted to rotate upon a fixed vertical shaft, and aseries of conveyers secured to the outer extremities of said arms, of levers fulcrumed to the frame of the machine above IIO said radial arms, a pressure-plate carried by said levers, a vertical rod pivotally connected to said levers and to a horizontal lever fulcrurned at the base of the machine, a driveshaft, and a cam secured to said shaft, contacting with the lower or horizontal lever, substantially as shown and described, and for the purpose specified.

7. In a can-making machine, the combination, with a vertical shaft, a vertically-adj ustable hub mounted to revolve thereon, a series of radial arms projected from said hub, and a conveyer secured to the outer 'end of each arm, open at the top and bottom and provided with an outwardly-flaring upper portion, a perpendicular lower portion, and a central rib or clamping-surface, of a receiving-reoeptacle arranged under a conveyer, a followeror forcing-plate within the receivingreceptacle, a rod attached to the follower, and a foot-lever attached to said rod, substantially as specified.

8. In acan-making machine, the combination, with the squeezing-table, a drive-shaft journaled inthe table-frame, a cam upon the shaft, and a horizontal lever engaged by the 

